Delicate Touch
by Douglas Neman
Summary: A fan fiction sequel to the Hong Kong action movie "So Close" starring Shu Qi, Zhao Wei, and Karen Mok. Hung begins a relationship with Sue while investigating a series of kidnappings.
1. Chapter 1

Author's notes:

This story takes place in an alternate universe in which Lynn lived. I don't like Lynn's death so I pretend it didn't happen.

In my wish universe, Lynn and Sue planted explosives throughout their house and yard as a defensive measure. During the attack on the house, Lynn was shot, but not fatally. As she passed out she detonated the explosives, driving back all the attackers, who assumed she was dead. Sue reached her in time and took her to the hospital, then went back to collect the computer equipment and went on the run. Everything else happened as depicted in the film, with minor differences to account for this change.

This means that the attempted frame of Hung was weaker, and Hung would have had less reason to team up with Sue to take out Chow Nunn. But since the original movie was full of plot holes, and the "frame" of Hung was absurd to begin with, my story can take a few liberties, as well.

I have never been to Hong Kong. I researched it a little bit, but I still know very little of its people, languages, or culture (they drive on the left and the Hong Kong currency is called the dollar). I used a random name generator for my characters. Apologies for any mistakes made due to my ignorance. If I write something that is completely contrary to the reality of Hong Kong, just pretend this story takes place in an alternate Hong Kong. I mean no disrespect; I just wanted to see Hung, Lynn, and Sue in action again.

I also know very little about kung fu. But I do know that fictional kung fu and real kung fu have nothing to do with each other, so we should be good to go.

This story contains a lot of violence, much of which consists of gunfights.

* * *

Guo raced down the filthy alley, frantically pulling down old crates and cans of putrid garbage as he passed, hoping they would slow down his pursuer. But Hung never slowed, jumping every obstacle, eyes focused on her prey like lasers.

Guo slammed into a chain link fence and spent precious seconds climbing it. As he swung over the top, Hung put on an extra burst of speed and ran up the fence and the adjoining brick wall, leaping over the fence practically on Guo's back.

They landed at almost the same time, and Guo knew running was no longer an option. He sprang up into a fighting stance, feinted a couple of times, then tried to punch Hung in the face. A second later he was looking at the sky and half his body hurt.

While Guo lay in a puddle of water and groaned, Hung relieved him of several thousand dollars and a kilo of crack. She rolled him over to slap on some handcuffs, completely unsympathetic of his coughing and spluttering as his face was now in the puddle.

She wrenched him to his feet.

"Make a trade," Guo said.

Hung dragged him down the alley. "Not interested."

"I have info on those missing girls."

That got Hung's attention. She stopped. "If you know anything about that, you'd better talk now."

Guo shook his head. "It ain't for free."

Hung dragged him away again. "Within an hour, you'll be begging to tell us everything. Then you'll find out what making a deal really means."

"You lock me up, I tell you nothin'."

Hung stopped and looked at him for a moment, then she shrugged and unlocked his handcuffs. "Fine. There you go. Now take off."

Guo looked at her in bafflement. "Seriously?"

"Yes! Run along. I'll just keep your stuff, and I'll tell everyone on the street that you lost your entire stash and all your money, and now you can't pay your supplier. I'm sure he'll be understanding. He's a businessman, right? You'll be fine. Off you go."

Guo's face had turned deathly pale. He and Hung stared at each other for a long moment.

Guo swallowed hard and held out his shaking hands. "M-m-maybe you'd better take me into custody."

* * *

Guo sat in the interrogation room, looking thoroughly miserable. Feng sat opposite him, while Hung leaned on the wall to Guo's left, arms folded.

"Look, I don't really know if what I heard means anything," Guo said.

Feng doodled on the pad of paper in front of him, acting as if Guo was about as interesting as an insect. "You let us be the judge of that," he said.

Guo shifted in his seat, stole a glance at Hung, and said, "So my supplier-"

"Name," Feng said.

"I don't know his name. He doesn't share that kind of information. And we had no regular meeting place. Every time we met, he would tell me where to meet him the next time, and it was never the same place twice. And by now, he knows I've been arrested, so he won't show."

"All right," Feng said.

"So I met him this one time-"

"Be more specific," Feng said, still sounding bored.

"I don't know! Three days ago, I think. It was the last time I saw him. Just as he's giving me the delivery, this guy comes up and says he's on his turf. My supplier and this other dude, they argue for a few minutes. I hang around and watch in case I need to help out. This other guy says my supplier needs to move on, that he's attracting too much attention. My supplier just laughs, and he says something like, 'You won't be here long. You think you can kidnap some girls and get away with it? You're the one who's attracting all the attention!' Then the other guy pulls a knife, but he just gives my supplier a warning and walks off. Then my supplier tells me to get lost."

"Where did this occur?" Feng asked.

"Down by the docks."

"Well, gosh, _that_ narrows it down," Feng said.

Guo glared at him. "It was an old warehouse off Han Lo. I don't remember which one."

"Would you be able to point it out if you saw it again?" Hung asked.

"Maybe."

"Describe your supplier and the other man," Feng said.

* * *

Wearily, Hung let herself into her apartment and tossed her coat on the desk chair. Two hours walking around the area Guo described had yielded nothing. She and Feng both believed he was lying. After running down filthy alleys and poking her nose into warehouses which still reeked of fish, all Hung wanted was a long hot shower. And it was due to her fatigue that she didn't notice something was wrong as quickly as she normally would have.

When she reached for her cigarettes and found they were gone, she snapped alert and looked around carefully. Things didn't feel right. A tiny, almost imperceptible buzz crept into her senses, but she couldn't tell from where. There was a mug on the kitchen counter which hadn't been there that morning. The air itself felt different, as if...perfume.

Hung sighed, relaxing a little. She had smelled that perfume before. And she should have seen this coming.

She walked to her bedroom and gazed in, a soft, sympathetic smile on her face. The light buzzing she had heard had actually been snoring.

Sue lay in her bed, snuggled under the covers, her clothes folded neatly on a chair.

Hung glanced in the bathroom. Sue had obviously taken a shower. Some of her belongings sat on the bathroom counter, as if she expected to stay a while.

Hung sat on the bed and gently stroked Sue's hair. She stirred a little and yawned, clearly not ready to waken.

Hung leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Hey. Where are my cigarettes?"

"I threw them out," Sue mumbled.

"You threw them out?" Hung asked sharply.

"They'll kill you." Sue settled back into sleep. Seconds later, she was snoring again.

Hung just shook her head in disbelief, then grumbled all the way to the corner store and back.

Evidently, she had a new girlfriend. It would have been nice of said girlfriend if said girlfriend had actually bothered informing her of her new girlfriend-ness. And within seconds of acquiring said girlfriend, Hung was already irritated at having to do all this extra work.

But despite her grumbling, she really didn't mind trekking to the store to replace her cigarettes. So she figured it must be love.


	2. Chapter 2

"You can slow down, you know," Hung said. "It's not going anywhere."

Sue looked up, baffled.

"Your cereal. You look and sound like a hog eating at a trough."

Sue gave an embarrassed smile. "Sorry. It's just that I haven't eaten in a while." She continued shoveling the cold cereal into her mouth.

"Why not? I wasn't aware you were poor."

"Lynn woke up yesterday."

Hung smiled. "Excellent!"

"It wasn't much. I don't think she knew where she was. She probably won't even remember it. But she was awake for a few minutes. The doctor said that was a major step, and they moved her out of ICU last night."

"I'm glad."

Sue set down her empty bowl. "But that's why I haven't eaten much until now. As long as Lynn was at death's door, I couldn't eat or sleep. I never left the hospital. But now that I know she'll live, I'm okay. That's why I came here last night, because I finally felt like my life had been restored. That's why I slept so long, and why I'm so hungry." She poured herself a second bowl.

"And...how long will you be staying?"

They looked at each other.

"How long will you let me?" Sue finally asked.

"That depends. There are these little brown things called cigarettes. I happen to like them."

Sue scowled. "They stink and you'll be dead by forty."

"It's my life to throw away."

"Says the woman who arrested a crack dealer yesterday."

Hung narrowed her eyes. "Don't you dare compare nicotine to...don't..." But she couldn't think of any comeback, so she lamely finished with, "Just...don't."

Hung's phone rang. She answered it, and her face became very still.

"I'll be right there." She hung up.

Sue looked at her inquisitively.

Hung looked grave. "Another girl's missing."

Sue absorbed this news and looked troubled. Even with her entire life focused on Lynn being in the hospital, she had heard about the spate of disappearing teenage girls which had gripped Hong Kong in the last week. Each had been taken without a trace. The police were being embarrassed. The public outcry was deafening. It had even pushed the gun battle at Chow Nunn's office building out of the headlines.

"What can I do to help?" Sue asked.

"Nothing. Just go be with your sister."

Hung kissed her good-bye.

It was a good kiss, and Hung realized that she was actually in bliss that Sue was there.

* * *

Siu-ma walked over to greet his boss as she arrived. Behind him, Feng was dealing with a furious father and a sobbing mother. Hung was selfishly glad that that wasn't her job this morning. She didn't do crying.

"Luo An Hua, 15," Siu-ma said. "Went to get some ice cream with her friends last night, just two blocks away. Left them to walk home alone about 9:20. Never made it."

"And we're only just hearing about it now?"

"Her parents were out last night. They assumed she was in bed when they got home."

"Son of a bitch!" Hung exclaimed. "Why the hell did she walk home alone? Is she a moron? Does she not listen to the news?"

Siu-ma shrugged. "Her friends say they actually mentioned something to her, but she said it was only two blocks so she wasn't worried."

"Anyone see anything?" Hung asked, already knowing the answer.

Siu-ma shook his head. "Security camera footage will be delivered about noon, but there weren't many."

"You know where this ice cream shop is?"

"Yep."

"I want to retrace her steps. Come with me."

Hung silently walked the girl's likeliest route and was disheartened by what she saw. It was the same as the other abductions – if it truly was an abduction and not a runaway, which was always possible. A teenage girl alone. No witnesses that they knew of. Very few businesses with external security cameras. Not even a traffic cam.

Whoever was taking these girls was a complete professional. No doubt about it.

* * *

Feng sat with his head in his hands, listening to one of his patrolmen report that another tip had led nowhere. He didn't have the energy to look up any more.

"Is there a policewoman who can handle herself in a fight and can pass as a teenager?" Siu-ma asked. "We could use her as bait and sew a GPS and a listening device into her clothing."

"To expose an officer to that kind of risk would require special permission from the chief," Feng said. "I'm not sure he would grant it, and I'm not sure I would have the heart to ask anyone to put themselves in that much peril. If the officer was separated from her clothing we would lose her. If it's kidnappers, once they realized she's an adult, or perhaps even a cop, she would be killed. If it's a serial killer, she's dead anyway. It's too risky."

"Is there any evidence this is a mass kidnapping rather than a serial killer?" Hung asked.

"The analysts say that this many victims in such a short time doesn't fit any known serial killer profile, because there's no cooling off period," Feng said. "Also, Cyberwatch says someone's advertising a fresh set of Hong Kong sex slaves on the darknet, and that it seems legitimate. They've got someone pretending to be an interested buyer, trying to feel them out. We don't know if it's real, or if it's related." He sighed. "Realistically, all options are still open."

Siu-ma turned to Hung. "What about that crack dealer you arrested yesterday?"

Hung shook her head. "He's useless. The missing girls are a big story, and he was just using it to try to save his own skin."

"Hung, see if the latest victim shared anything similar with any of the other victims," Feng said.

"Right." She turned to Siu-ma. "Coming?"

Siu-ma looked thoughtful. "Maybe that crack dealer was lying, but there's always a chance he wasn't...and...I don't know, maybe I have a hunch. I just feel something. I want to look into his claim further."

Hung laid a hand on his arm. "The single most valuable asset any police officer has is their hunch. I know what that feels like, so if you've got one, follow it. Even if it's wrong, the experience will make your instinct better. Do what you need to do."

Siu-ma nodded.


	3. Chapter 3

Lynn's mouth constantly felt dry, but the nurse had told her that was likely a side effect of the medicine. The nurse had also told her that she had been unconscious for eight days, and that Sue and Yen had hardly left her side.

She had been awake since about 4 AM, and ironically, Yen had been asleep in the chair that entire time. She didn't want to disturb him; he was obviously exhausted, because her conversation with the nurse hadn't woken him. She would have loved to go back to sleep naturally, but she just couldn't. She certainly didn't want to be put under again. She wasn't in pain, just bored. Of all the things a person can stare at for entertainment, a hospital ceiling is never high on the list.

So she lay idle and watched the room slowly fill with daylight, and listened to the hospital slowly fill with morning noise.

At 8:30 Sue looked in, and the smile on her face was the most beautiful sight Lynn had ever seen.

Sue ran to Lynn and hugged her. The sisters held each other for a long time. Neither needed words.

Sue pulled away, her face wet with tears, and rested her forehead on Lynn's. "I'm sorry," Sue whispered. "I'm so, so sorry."

Lynn tried to speak but her voiced croaked. She cleared it and tried again. "For what?"

Yen stirred, and slowly woke up.

"It's my fault you almost died," Sue whispered. "Everything that happened is my fault. Trying to pull off that last hit by myself led Chow's men to our house. I couldn't resist teasing the police. I acted like what we did was a game, and that we were invincible. I was reckless and a fool, and I almost lost you forever because of it."

Lynn smiled. "I don't care. I'm still here, and I know you'll never do anything like that again. I'm just happy you're safe. That's the only thing that matters to me."

Sue kissed her forehead, then looked up at Yen, who was now standing next to the bed.

Yen hugged Lynn. "Welcome back," he said. "How are you?"

"Bored, hungry, and thirsty."

"We can fix all of those," Sue said.

"Wait," Lynn said. "There's something I want more than all of that. I want to know what happened, why we're not under arrest, and why I smell Kong Yat-hung's perfume on you."

Sue blushed. "That's a long story."

"I'll clear my calendar."

Sue playfully slapped her arm.

Yen motioned towards the door. "Do you want me to..."

"No," Sue said. "If you truly love Lynn, and if you're really going to be her husband, then you need to hear this, too."

"You haven't told him already?" Lynn asked.

Sue grimaced. "It's a story I only ever want to tell once."

Lynn squeezed her hand. "Tell me."

Sue nodded, took a deep breath, and let it out. "I got away from the police. When I got home, I saw what happened. I brought you here. I was almost too late. Then I went home, grabbed the computer and took off. I barely got out of there before the police arrived.

"Chow's men framed Hung for the attack on you. They deposited money in her account, and they left her necklace at our house, lying beside a gun with her fingerprints. So she was arrested."

"The police _fell_ for that?" Lynn asked.

"Hung is certain that Chow had some high-ranking police in his pocket, and that's why they were willing to act on such flimsy evidence. That's also why she figured she'd be killed eventually once they had her in custody."

Sue looked sadly at Lynn, clearly dreading her next words. "I know how you feel about revenge. But this wasn't just about revenge, it was also about staying alive. We couldn't live on the run for the rest of our lives, and you were vulnerable here in the hospital. It was either Chow or us, so I went after him."

Lynn nodded, clearly unhappy, yet acknowledging that Sue was right.

"I needed help to take on Chow, and he had declared war on Hung, too. So I rescued her. We joined forces and...we took care of it." Sue looked at Lynn meaningfully.

Lynn squeezed her hand. "I never wanted you to take a human life."

Sue squeezed her hand in return. "I know. And now I know why."

They were silent for a moment.

"So why aren't you in prison?" Lynn asked.

"Well, although this might be hard for you to understand because you weren't there, Hung and I kind of...bonded when we were together. She saved my life, and I saved hers. We got to know each other a little bit. When it was all over, she didn't arrest me, and she's not going to arrest you. She knows we've quit, and she knows we want to start our lives over. She's okay with that."

"Even if Hung doesn't arrest us, what about the rest of the police?" Lynn asked. "They're not that stupid! I was attacked by Chow's men, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why. They must know we're the assasins they're looking for."

Sue sighed. "Oh, they probably do. But...when Hung and I took out Chow Nunn, and the police discovered all the things he and his brother had done – and there were a _lot_ – Hung suddenly became the police department's superstar. She's practically untouchable. They gave her a medal. And all the police who were being bribed by Chow are suddenly scared shitless; they're not going to serve someone who can't pay them any more, and they're terrified that evidence still exists somewhere that they were on the take. I get the feeling that Hung's supervisor has guessed the truth, but he trusts Hung enough that if she's not willing to pursue something, then he won't, either."

Sue smiled and held both of Lynn's hands. "Lynn. We're free! By luck or by grace, we're free. We can start over!"

Lynn smiled also. "That still doesn't explain why I can smell Hung's perfume on you."

Sue blushed. "Well, like I said...we bonded."

Lynn raised an eyebrow. Yen smiled.

* * *

Siu-ma shouldered open the rusting door. The sound echoed around the cavernous warehouse.

He switched on his flashlight, although sunlight snuck in through some upper windows, and looked around carefully. There were many footprints in the dust, probably made by men's workboots, but they could have been there for years and therefore meant nothing to Siu-ma.

But another set of footprints attracted his attention. It had been raining off and on for the past two days, and these footprints were smaller and still slightly damp. They led to a stack of palettes leaning against a wall. The palettes leant at enough of an angle that there was a space on the floor between the palettes and the wall.

Siu-ma approached the palettes. He pretty much knew what he would find.

"Police," he called. "I'm not here to arrest you, I just need to ask you a couple of questions."

No answer.

"Look, I know you're there. I can see the footprints, and they're recent. I can call for backup and we can do this the hard way. But time is short and I just need some information."

Shaking slightly, an old homeless man tentatively crawled out from the space between the palettes and the wall, and stood up.

Siu-ma stood still, showed him his badge, and spoke reassuringly, trying to gain the man's trust. "Police. All I want to do is ask you a few questions."

The man looked around furtively, then shrugged his shoulders. "What?"

"First of all, what's your name?"

The man looked around again, then finally said, "Peng." It was obvious he was lying. Siu-ma didn't let it bother him.

"Well, Peng, I need to know if you've seen anything suspicious in any of these abandoned warehouses lately. I'm not talking about drug deals or prostitution, I mean something _really_ out of the ordinary."

Peng looked confused and just shook his head.

"How about a bunch of men moving something in the middle of the night. Recently."

Peng worked his jaw around, staring at Siu-ma's feet, as if considering whether to reply.

"It's really important," Siu-ma said gently. "A lot of people's lives could depend on it."

Peng swallowed hard and shifted his feet. "Saw a bunch of guys moving stuff night before last. Looked like they were in a hurry."

"Using a warehouse that's usually abandoned?"

Peng nodded.

"What kind of stuff?"

"I didn't look too close. I was about a block away. Just passin' through, you know?"

"Were any of them carrying guns?"

"Not that I could see."

"Did you hear anyone cry out for help?"

Peng began to answer but immediately stopped.

"I'm not going to judge you or get angry. Please. What did you hear?"

"I heard...someone yell. A girl, or a woman, sounded like."

"Was it a scream, or did the woman say anything?"

"She yelled, 'Help.' I think."

"Just 'Help?'"

"'Help me,' or 'Somebody help.' I don't know."

"Did the men react?"

"One of 'em yelled, 'Shut up!' Somethin' like that."

"Show me."

Peng led Siu-ma out the door and down the street.

The air was muggy in the hot sun. From a quarter mile away came the sound of men and ships, but this section of the city was almost deserted. On a distant corner stood a woman in tight shorts and a tank top; her pimp leaned on the brick wall behind her, guarding his merchandise. He eyed Siu-Ma warily.

Peng and Siu-ma reached another abandoned warehouse.

"This is the place?" Siu-ma asked.

Peng nodded.

"Anything else strange happen lately? Anything at all?"

Peng shook his head.

"Do you know where the men were going?"

Another shake of the head.

"What vehicle were they using? Was there any emblem on the side of their truck?"

"I didn't see any truck or anything."

"Then how do you know they were moving stuff?"

Peng shrugged. "It just seemed like it."

"Why did it seem like it?"

Peng thought for a moment. "They...were wheeling boxes around."

"Boxes or crates?"

"Crates."

"Big ones?"

Peng nodded.

"Big enough to hold a person?"

He nodded again.

Siu-ma took out one of his business cards and began writing on the back of it. "This is an organization that will help you, if you'll let them. Please go see them." He gave Peng the card and some money. "Thank you for your time."

Peng nodded and shuffled off.

Siu-ma entered the building and switched on his flashlight, as it was considerably darker in here. The windows had been boarded over with wood which looked new.

Siu-ma examined the ground carefully, trying hard to disturb as little as possible in case anyone else needed to examine it later. He moved along the walls, looking for anything which seemed out of place.

He spotted something and froze. After taking a careful look, he whipped out his phone.


	4. Chapter 4

"I moved all the computer equipment into our apartment," Sue said. "I set most of it up around five this morning. I never knew how much I would miss it! I missed it more than food!"

"It's interesting how you call it _your_ apartment," Lynn said. "It's Hung's apartment. It sounds to me like you're just a guest there."

Sue waved this away. "She'll get used to it. We need to find you and Yen a nice house nearby. I don't want to let you too far out of my sight. Somebody's got to take care of you!"

Lynn rolled her eyes.

The door opened. Lynn looked up and found herself locking eyes with Kong Yat-hung.

"May I come in?" Hung asked. She carried a vase of flowers.

Lynn smiled and nodded. Sue rose to greet Hung, who set the flowers on the bedside table.

"Those are lovely!" Lynn said. "Thank you."

"Hung, this is Lynn's fiance, Yen," Sue said. "Yen, this is the officer who didn't arrest us."

They shook hands. "Pleasure to meet you," Hung said.

"Pleasure," Yen said.

"I'm glad to see you're going to live," Hung said to Lynn, smiling.

She and Lynn looked at each other, and each woman felt strange.

"This is much different than the first time we met," Lynn said.

"Thankfully so," Hung said.

They were silent for a moment, so Sue spoke up.

"Actually, that's more true than you know!" she said. "Because the first time you two met, it actually wasn't in the parking garage last week."

They looked at Sue with a little surprise, Hung raising an eyebrow. Sue smiled gleefully, barely able to contain herself.

"Oh?" Hung asked. "And when did we meet before?"

Sue began reciting facts. "Chen Ai Lin, born October 28, 1976, at 3:37 AM in Li Hai hospital, placed in crib number two at 3:58 AM. Kong Yat-hung, born October 28, 1976, at 4:19 AM in Li Hai hospital, placed in crib number three at 4:45 AM." Sue grinned and bounced on her toes. "You were cribmates!"

They all smiled, and Hung and Lynn looked at each other.

"I thought I recognized you," Hung said.

Lynn laughed.

Sue made eye contact with Yen and jerked her head toward the door. "Yen and I are gonna go get some coffee."

They left the cribmates alone. Hung sat in the chair.

"Sue told me what happened," Lynn said. "Thank you. Thank you for not arresting us. But more importantly, thank you for keeping her safe. That means more to me than I can ever say."

Hung smiled. "Like I told her...the Computer Angel has died and will commit no more crimes."

"Even so, we did commit crimes. I did, really. Sue just helped."

"You know, as a police officer, I get to deal with humanity's garbage. I meet scum every day. Murderers, rapists, drug dealers, wife-beaters." Hung shook her head. "It can get old. Personally, just between you and me, I like being challenged by someone who's my equal, and in that respect, I really enjoyed going up against you.

"But it wasn't just that. You and Sue were different. You were still criminals, but investigating you was like finding a beautiful meadow in the middle of the city dump. Sue told me how the two of you never accepted a job unless you investigated the target yourselves and determined that he truly was a nasty person, responsible for others' misery. You went out of your way not to kill security guards. You played old love songs for your enemies while carrying out a hit. From the very beginning, I knew you were going to turn out to be someone unique.

"And you did. You and Sue both. You're not criminals, you're young women whose parents were murdered, and that led you to make a wrong turn." Hung shook her head. "You're not jail material. You're good people. And I like you."

Lynn was smiling. "I think it's Sue you like."

Hung blushed. "Yes, well...I like you both. Really."

"And may I ask what your intentions are towards my younger sister?"

Hung laughed. "You know, you have to let her go some time!"

"I have let her go. I did that the night you and I fought. Did she tell you we had an argument that night?"

"No."

"We did. I had actually canceled that contract because I wanted to get married. I wanted both of us to quit and live a normal life. It was Sue who secretly tried to carry out that hit without me, because she wanted out of my shadow and out of my control. I didn't realize until it was almost too late that I had to let her take her own path, and if we had just talked about that, maybe none of this would have happened."

"I know you'll always feel protective of Sue. As well you should."

"She's everything to me," Lynn whispered.

Hung said softly, "The night we took on Chow Nunn and all of his hired thugs...you should have seen her. She was _magnificent_. And she did it all for you."

Lynn smiled. "I know. And yes, I have let her go. She's a big girl and doesn't need me to look after her. But she still means the world to me, so out of curiosity...what are your intentions towards my younger sister?"

Hung smiled. "Nothing dishonorable."

"She hero-worships you, you know."

Hung nodded. "A little bit, yes. But time will cure her of that. And when the day comes that she regards me as a person rather than someone to idolize, she may realize that she doesn't really love me. I don't know. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. In the meantime, I...really enjoy being with her. I'll even go so far as to say that I think I'm falling in love with her."

Lynn smiled.

Hung leaned forward and took her hand. "And I can tell you one thing for sure. As long as it is within my power, I will never let anyone harm her."

Tears sprang to Lynn's eyes. "Thank you."

Without even thinking about it, they hugged.

After a few seconds they let go. Lynn wiped her eyes. There was comfortable silence between them for a few moments.

"There's something you should know about Sue," Lynn said.

"What's that?"

"She video tapes just about everything she ever does. She's in love with her camera."

"Does she ever go back to watch any of these videos?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Then why does she do it?"

"I've always been too afraid to ask. It doesn't bother me, because I grew up with it. But if the thought of being filmed while you eat dinner or watch TV disturbs you, I suggest you sort that out with her ASAP."

Hung sighed. "Well, first it was the cigarettes, and now this."

"What about cigarettes?"

"I smoke, and Sue isn't happy about that."

Lynn grinned. "Sounds like you two are going to have lots of fun."

Hung gave her a mock-weary look. "Yeah. Right. So how long are they going to keep you here?"

"They don't know. They tell me I have stitches that will come apart if I stretch or move too quickly. They don't even want me to get out of bed unless I have to."

"Any permanent damage?"

"No."

"That's good."

After a brief pause, Lynn said, "Sue tells me you're investigating the missing girls."

Sue and Yen returned with a tray full of coffees.

"I am," Hung said.

"Any luck?" Lynn asked.

Hung shook her head, and gratefully accepted a coffee from Sue. "What I said about going up against someone who will give me a challenge...that doesn't apply to people who kidnap teenage girls. That's not enjoyable at all, challenge or no challenge. But these abductions...I just don't know. My gut tells me it's a gang, not a single person, because the crimes are too perfect for one person to pull off consistently. They don't make mistakes. They strike perfectly, every time. Each girl is alone, there are no witnesses, and no video. They've taken six girls in eight days. The girls have nothing in common among all of them. They come from all different walks of life and economic backgrounds. They just vanish, and we have _nothing_ to go on!"

"Could World Panorama help?" Lynn asked.

Sue shook her head. "Without a location to hack into, what can we do? We can't just look through millions of cameras randomly."

Hung sighed. "It's a real bitch. And personally, my biggest fear is that the police are under so much pressure to do something that we'll crack, and arrest the wrong person or make rash decisions just to get people off our backs." She took a sip of her coffee. "That's when police work becomes the worst – when we're supposed to deliver something to a schedule rather than investigating reality."

"If there's anything we can do to help, please let us know," Lynn said.

"Thanks, I will. But right now I can't think of anything."

Hung's phone rang. "It's Siu-ma," she said, and answered it. She listened for a moment, then said sharply, "I'm on my way."

She set her cup down. "You can have my coffee. Siu-ma has a lead on the missing girls. I've got to go."

"Go get 'em!" Sue said, and gave her a quick kiss.

Hung nodded to Yen and Lynn, and said, "I'll come visit tomorrow, if that's all right."

"Visit any time," Lynn said, and Hung could tell she meant it.

Hung nodded and left.


	5. Chapter 5

"Siu-ma?"

"Over here."

Hung joined him by the far wall, her eyes adjusting to the dim light of the warehouse.

Siu-ma told her Peng's story, then pointed out what he'd found. "It looks like four of the girls scratched their names into the wall. They're at approximately five foot intervals."

Hung looked, and sure enough, spaced evenly along the wall, almost impossible to make out, were crude scratches in the brickwork. But they definitely spelled out the names of four of the missing girls. Under three of the names were brief messages asking for help. Two of the girls had scratched the date along with their names. The two dates were the same: three days previously.

The front door was pushed open wide and Feng entered, followed by a forensic team. Through the door, Hung could see policemen setting up crime scene tape.

"Very, very well done, Siu-ma," Hung said warmly. "You followed your hunch and it was right, and it took very sharp eyes to spot these scratches. When we get these bastards, it will be mostly because of you."

Siu-ma blushed. "I have a good teacher. And it's not about me, it's about rescuing them."

Feng joined them. "Excellent work, Siu-ma," he said.

"Thank you, sir."

"What do we think happened here?" Feng asked.

Hung said, "Based on what the crack dealer told us, I can only theorize that the girls were being held here, but the kidnappers were worried that the drug selling would bring the police to their doorstep, so they moved the girls to another hideout two nights ago."

"What makes you think they didn't load them on a ship and they're halfway around the world by now, or in a Chinese brothel?" Feng asked.

"Nothing," Hung said. "That would be my second theory. But we've got the docks on high alert, with two customs agents attending every loading point day and night; every single crate loaded onto any ship is opened and inspected; and the patrol boats are working around the clock. It would be almost impossible to get six captives through that net. My gut tells me they're still in Hong Kong."

"There aren't that many places they could hold six captives," Feng said. "What are the chances they actually didn't move them very far?"

Hung shrugged.

"All right," Feng said. "I'm bringing in dogs to see if they can sniff any trails, and we'll canvass the area with every available man to see if there were any other witnesses."

Siu-ma motioned through the doors. "News crew is here."

"Shit!" Feng exploded, and ran outside to make sure his crime scene wasn't violated.

Hung gave a whimsical smile after her supervisor, but Siu-ma looked thoughtful.

"What's on your mind?" she asked.

"What you said about the docks being watched so carefully. The kidnappers know they can't get the girls out that way. There's no way they would risk selling them here in Hong Kong. There's no way they can keep them for an extended period of time without getting caught. So what's left?"

They looked at each other for a moment.

"They have another way out of Hong Kong," Hung whispered.

"A fishing boat?"

"Fishermen live very social lives, in tight-knit communities, and they wouldn't have anywhere to hide six captives the whole island is looking for."

"Maybe someone's private yacht, or even their own private plane?"

"Anyone who's already that rich wouldn't commit a crime this risky just to make a little more money. But we're definitely missing something obvious."

Hung paced slowly, thinking furiously.

"Let's put ourselves in the kidnappers' shoes," she said. "We have a bunch of girls, but we move them. We've committed a heinous crime, everyone's talking about it, and everyone's looking for us, so we're completely screwed if we get caught. We have to be extra careful. We don't know what the police know-"

Hung stopped in her tracks, then slowly turned to Siu-ma.

"Or _do_ we?" she asked.

"You think they have a mole inside the department?" Siu-ma asked quietly.

Hung thought for a moment. "I wouldn't put it past them. These people are highly organized and their lives are at stake. They're desperate to know how close the police are to catching them, so..."

The thought struck her like lightning. "They're watching this warehouse!"

"Are you sure?" Siu-ma asked.

"They've got to be! They moved because they thought the police might show up. If I were them, I would be _dying_ to know whether the police ever actually did turn up, so I would leave a spotter to report back!"

"There's a hooker and her pimp up the street!" Siu-ma said. "I saw them on the way in!"

"I saw her, too," Hung said. "But what's a prostitute doing in a section of town which is deserted?"

They looked at each other.

Hung headed for the door. "Let's approach them casually," she said. "If we start running at them from the beginning, they'll have too much of a head start."

"They're probably already gone," Siu-ma said. "Whether she's a spotter or a real prostitute, either way, she's gonna bolt the moment she sees a police car park next door."

He was right. There was no sign of them.

"They might be on foot," Hung said. "Come on!"

She ran to a police cruiser which was sitting idle with its door open. She flashed her badge at the confused-looking policeman standing next to it and snapped, "We need your car!" She and Siu-ma piled in, Siu-ma at the wheel, and they took off.

When they reached the corner, they looked around. Down the cross street, Siu-ma spotted two people disappearing around another corner about a hundred meters away. He wasn't sure if it was them, but there was no one else around, so he sped in that direction.

They reached the corner and saw them. It was indeed the man and woman who had been hanging around outside the warehouse. They were walking so fast that they were already about fifty meters further along. Despite the heat, the woman now wore a jacket. They were still in a largely deserted section of the city, although getting closer to a shopping district with every step.

"Drive casually," Hung said. "If we floor it, they'll know something's up."

Siu-ma did as she said. Hung rolled down the window. She drew her pistol but kept it out of sight. The man and woman were on her side of the street.

When they were thirty meters away, the woman glanced over her shoulder, saw the police car, and said something to the man. They whipped out pistols, spun, and opened fire.

As fast as lightning, Hung returned the favor. She winged the man on his upper right arm, and her swift reaction clearly surprised them. They hadn't been prepared for an officer whose gun was already drawn. They ducked into the doorway of a derelict building, protected somewhat by an alcove.

Siu-ma floored it and drove straight at them. Completely taken by surprise again, the man and woman leaped out of the alcove just before the car slammed into it. Airbags burst from the dashboard and steering wheel. Hung's airbag kicked the gun out of her hand; Siu-ma's airbag knocked his head back. Bricks flew everywhere. The man and woman sprawled on the sidewalk, on Siu-ma's side of the car. The woman's pistol skidded away from her and disappeared beneath the car.

The man hauled himself to his feet. Hung was out of the car in a flash, leaping onto the hood and aiming a kick at his head, but he dodged so quickly that it was only a partial blow. He went down, slightly dazed. But his reaction had been so fast that in that moment Hung realized he knew how to fight.

The woman did, too. She had no time to get her gun, so she rolled to her feet and executed a sweeping kick designed to take Hung's legs out from under her. Hung hopped onto the car's roof and the woman's kick went through empty air; Hung used the car's roof as a springboard to leap over the woman, flipping around as she did. The woman spun to meet her and the fight was on.

Siu-ma had been dazed by the air bag. He dimly saw Hung and the woman fighting, but he had trouble telling his body to do anything. He fought to clear his head.

Hung and her combatant spun, dodged, traded kicks and punches. The mysterious woman was good, there was no doubt about it. The fight slowly moved down the sidewalk, away from the car.

The man slowly climbed to his feet, regained his senses, and raised his gun, trying to get a clear shot at Hung.

Behind him, Siu-ma kicked open the car door. It slammed into the man and sent him back to the ground. His gun bounced into the street.

The man looked over his shoulder and saw Siu-ma sitting in the driver's seat aiming his gun at him. "Lie flat on the ground, arms spread wide," Siu-ma said.

The man could tell that Siu-ma was a little woozy, but he couldn't take a chance with a gun pointing at him at such short range. He did as Siu-ma instructed.

Siu-ma's head was still ringing and he knew he wouldn't be able to stand. Keeping his eyes on the man and holding the gun with one hand, he reached back with his other hand to grab the radio.

He couldn't find it. The hook which usually held the handset was empty. He figured the impact must have knocked it out.

It was already difficult enough to maneuver his hand blindly around the deflated air bag, and the world was still spinning a little, so Siu-ma had no choice but to give up on the radio for the moment. He clutched the gun with both hands. All he could do was contain the man and have faith that Hung would deal with the woman.

Hung was caught in the fight of her life. Neither opponent could get the upper hand.

The woman caught Hung's punch and swung her toward the building, but Hung put her feet up, walked along the building's wall, swung around behind the woman and put her in a headlock. They struggled like that for a few seconds. They were facing the car, so Hung could see Siu-ma holding the man prisoner.

At the sound of an engine roaring, Hung whipped her head around. A car sped up the street. With the way the driver seemed to be aiming straight for them, Hung realized that this must be the man and woman's ride come to pick them up.

Hung grit her teeth, now determined more than ever to keep ahold of the woman. She swung her around to face the car and use her as a shield, just as the driver thrust a gun out the window. Hung could see that the driver, a man, was alone. He didn't fire, and the car stopped a meter short of where they stood. Hung struggled to hold the woman while reaching into her own pocket.

Siu-ma started to call out to Hung, but because he was watching the car's arrival he had taken his eyes off the man. Still flat on the ground, the man lashed up and back with his right leg and kicked the gun from Siu-ma's hand, then took off.

"Behind you!" Siu-ma croaked.

Hung didn't even bother looking. Siu-ma's warning was all she needed. She struggled with the woman for a second more, then shoved her to one side. Before the driver could react, Hung jumped onto the car's hood, then onto its roof.

The driver, not expecting her to do that, fired wildly through the windscreen and then through the roof, but missed. Hung ran the length of the car and jumped off, still running, angled slightly away to be in the driver's blind spot as much as possible. She made it to a low brick wall adjoining the building and leaped over it. Bullets thudded into the wall as the driver blew out his own back windscreen.

The man and woman dove into the car. The driver pulled a tight U-turn and sped off.

Hung found herself lying on top of a homeless man.

"Get your own spot!" Peng complained.


	6. Chapter 6

Liang joined his wife and children on the sofa, fearing the worst. His son was seven and his daughter was five, and although they didn't understand what was happening, they knew something was wrong. At the moment he was powerless to comfort them.

Liang looked at the two men standing guard on either side of the room, pistols in their hands as always. Trying to stay calm, he addressed the man standing in front of him. "What's going on now?"

Zhu Bo Shi smiled. "Plan's changed. We move tonight."

Liang swallowed hard. He had no illusions whatsoever that Bo Shi was going to let any of them live, and now their time was almost up. "Why did your plan change?" he asked.

Bo Shi gave a little shake of his head. "Gettin' too hot, is all. I wanted eight girls, but Mu Jing just had a fight with the police, so I'll settle for six."

"Look, if it's money you want, I can get that for you," Liang said. "I'll buy all of your girls, I'll give you anything I own. I'll give you _everything_ I own."

"We both know the only reason you want to buy the girls is to let them go," Bo Shi said. "And obviously, I can't do that."

"But why go through with this insane plan when you've got a source of money sitting right in front of you?"

"Bank transfers can be traced," Bo Shi said. "So can cars and boats. I don't want your money. I want the cash I'll get for the girls. Besides, I'm a business man, and my customers expect quality product. I take pride in being an entrepreneur. You can understand that."

"Please," Liang said. "You know it's going to end badly for you if you carry through with this. Just let us go, let the girls go, and your life will be better."

Bo Shi pulled out his pistol and aimed it at Liang's children. "Pick one."

Liang's wife cried out and tried to cover them. Liang clenched his fists.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I was out of line. I'll never say anything like that again."

Bo Shi grinned and put his gun away. "You're right."

Mu Jing and Alex came in. Mu Jing was breathing a little hard, still amped with adrenaline from her fight. Alex was scowling; a makeshift bandage was tied around his arm. Mu Jing angrily threw her jacket onto the table.

Bo Shi spread his arms wide. "What is with you today?" he asked with a smile. "You bragged that the first gun battle with the police, you were gonna take out ten of 'em easily!"

Mu Jing could barely contain her fury. "This was no ordinary policewoman!" she spat. "She was good. Really, really good."

Bo Shi laughed, and asked, "Where's Chang?"

"Taking care of the car," Mu Jing said. "We had to ditch ours and steal another."

"Is he all right?" Bo Shi asked.

Mu Jing snorted contemptuously, but Alex said, "He's fine."

Mu Jing looked at the family on the sofa and asked, "What's this? Are they in detention?"

"No, just preparing to move out," Bo Shi said.

Mu Jing glared him. "What about our plan to get eight?"

"Too risky," Bo Shi said.

"We can't leave yet!" Mu Jing snapped. "Not until I get that police bitch!"

Bo Shi laughed. "Mom always said your temper would be your downfall. She was right. You've got to learn when it's time to stay and when it's time to move. You're too emotional."

"And you're paranoid," Mu Jing said. "You need to relax. Have yourself one of the girls. Hell, have all of them at once! Throw yourself a party."

"We don't touch the girls," Bo Shi said. "I keep telling you that. They're worth a lot more if they're nice and pristine. You don't have any business sense, either. That's why I'm in charge."

"Spare me," Mu Jing said. "Just please tell me there's a beer left."

"There'll be plenty of time for a beer later," Bo Shi said. "I need you, Alex, and Chang to prep the yacht."

"We just got back!" Mu Jing snapped. "And Alex is wounded."

"He's _scratched_. And I'm sending you three out again because you were stupid enough to almost get caught. That's your punishment."

Mu Jing fumed.

Bo Shi approached her. "Hey, it'll be all right. We leave the house at 9:30, rendezvous at 11:45, get rich by sundown tomorrow." He winked at her. "It's payday, just like I promised."

Mu Jing pointed a finger at his face, but it was obvious she was only being half serious. His words had mollified her, as he knew they would.

"Do I take dumbo with me?" she asked, jerking a thumb at Liang. "It's his yacht."

"No. I don't want to risk him getting away, and you know enough about boats that you don't need his help. Take the spare car. If you show up in Liang's car, people might wonder."

Mu Jing and Alex headed for the door.

"Check the cameras first," Bo Shi said.

Mu Jing stopped and turned. "Like I said: you're paranoid."

"Again, that's why I'm in charge. Your little gun battle has made me nervous."

"Too nervous."

"The CCTV system is one of the reasons I chose this family to take hostage in the _first_ place! Not only do they have a nice boat, but they've got this fancy mansion with all these security cameras." Bo Shi's face darkened. "So _use_ them."

Mu Jing sighed, but dutifully walked down a corridor, past the game room, the dining room, and the parlor, to a smaller room where Wan sat in front of a bank of monitors.

"Any activity outside?"

Wan shook his head.

Mu Jing stomped back to the living room. "We're fine. Satisified?"

"Ecstatic," Bo Shi said.

Mu Jing and Alex left. Mu Jing slammed the door behind her.


	7. Chapter 7

"In position," the squad leader reported.

Feng was in the van with two other policemen and a technician. He never took his eyes off the monitor showing the mansion. "Has the signal moved?" he asked.

"Position unchanged," the technician answered.

"Where's the ambulance?" Feng asked.

"It's almost here," one of the policemen said.

Hung and Siu-ma, along with the assault squad, crouched behind the wall of the estate next door to Liang's mansion. The squad leader wore an earpiece. So did Hung, but no one else knew about hers.

"One of the men just took trays of food to the garage," Sue said. "I can't see inside the garage, but I bet that's where the girls are."

Hung turned away from the others and whispered, "Can you input virtual images?"

"Their system's too simple for that," Sue said. "It doesn't have the fancy server like Chow's building. I can make the screens turn to static when you're approaching the house, but then I won't be able to see through them, either. As soon as they know they're under attack, I'll turn them back on again. Then I'll be able to see, but so will they."

"Understood," Hung whispered.

In the van, one of the policemen said, "Sir, the ambulance is in position, hidden around the corner."

Feng nodded. "Move in."

The squad leader gave the signal. Hung, Siu-ma, and the assault team leaped over the wall.

* * *

"I have a request," Liang said.

Bo Shi downed a brandy. "Make it quick."

"I'm not stupid. My wife and I know your name and your face, so it's obvious what our fate is. But our children can't possibly be any threat to you. They're too young. Leave them here, in their beds, safe."

Bo Shi took a moment to answer. "I'll consider it."

Liang looked like he wanted to say more, but simply nodded. He knew better than to push the issue.

The sound of gunfire from outside made them all jump.

The two guards ran to the front door. Two assault team members kicked it down, stormed in, and killed them instantly.

Bo Shi dove across the room, grabbed Liang in a headlock, crouched behind him, and put a gun to his head. "Put the guns down!" he screamed.

"Drop the weapon!" the assault team leader screamed back.

Liang's wife herded her children off the couch and away from Bo Shi. Another assault team member escorted them out the door, stepping over the bodies of the two guards on the way.

* * *

Hung carefully made her way towards the garage. She was in a corridor when Sue alerted her.

"One in the library, armed," she said. "First door on your left. He's to the left of the doorway."

Hung fired four shots through the wall next to the doorway, in an even rectangular spread.

"Got him," Sue said. But while Sue was concentrating on the man in the library, she failed to see another man. He grabbed Hung from behind.

"Shit!" Sue exclaimed. "Two more coming from the bedrooms, armed, appearing now!"

Hung planted her feet on the wall and pushed her attacker backwards into the other wall. She was now braced horizontally across the hallway. Keeping one foot pressed against the wall to hold her position, she sharply kicked a large ornamental urn off a table. It flew down the hallway and hit the first man to come around the corner right in the nose.

Hung twisted, dropped back to her feet, grabbed the man who had been holding her, and flipped him around behind her to use as a shield.

The two men down the corridor opened fire, perforating their comrade. Huddled behind the dying man, Hung fired back blindly, aiming by instinct.

"Got 'em!" Sue yelled triumphantly. Hung could hear the relief in her voice, and Hung realized that, in a way, Sue was more frightened than she was.

It suddenly made her feel good, to know she was loved. In that instant, she knew she and Sue made a great team.

* * *

"Drop your weapon now!" the assault leader screamed.

"I'll hole this guy!" Bo Shi screamed back, hiding behind Liang as much as he could. "Back off! Now!"

Siu-ma had entered the house through a window, and he now stood on the other side of the living room. The assault team didn't have a clear shot at Bo Shi, but he did, and Bo Shi didn't know he was there.

Siu-ma was a good shot, and he knew it. But if he risked it and missed, this could get ugly and it would be his fault.

It was moments like this that a police officer had only seconds to weigh the risks and make a choice.

Ultimately, Siu-ma was confident in his ability. With Bo Shi and the assault team still screaming at each other, he took careful aim and pulled the trigger.

The screaming stopped.

* * *

Hung slowly opened the door to the garage. She could hear sporadic gunfire throughout the house.

The door was situated at the left rear corner of the garage, which was about a hundred feet wide by fifty feet deep. All four garage doors were down and the lights were on. The nearer half of the garage was mostly empty; the other half contained four expensive cars stacked two rows deep. Six terrified girls sat chained to worktables along the side wall directly in front of Hung. Plates of half-eaten food lay beside them.

The girls didn't move or say a word. That spoke volumes to Hung. Keeping her gun level, she flashed her badge at them.

One of them jerked her head towards the cars, ever so slightly, and barely extended two fingers, but only for a second. Both actions were almost imperceptible.

Hung immediately broke eye contact with the girl so as not to give her away, but nodded slowly to show that she had gotten the message.

She anticipated that one of the captors might be lying on the floor, prepared to shoot her feet or ankles the moment she stepped into view. That's what she would do in the same situation. There were more worktables along the back wall, so instead of stepping forward, she nimbly hopped onto the tables and slowly made her way along, slightly bent over, carefully stepping over objects, gun extended. There were no CCTV cameras in here, and Sue was keeping silent so as not to distract her.

Hung barely saw the first man in time. She had almost reached the halfway point when he and the muzzle of his gun peeked out from beneath a Rolls Royce, the car nearest to her. She dodged as he fired, and she quickly shot the car's front tires. The harsh _cracks_ of their guns echoed, drowning out the man's cries as the front end of the car fell and crushed him into the floor. The girls began screaming.

A spot beside Hung's feet exploded upwards. She ran further along, chastising herself for failing to realize that the obvious hiding place was beneath the very tables she was walking on. The second attacker was firing upwards through the table top, and he had almost gotten her.

Sloppy.

More bullets through the table top. She reached the opposite wall at the right rear corner of the garage, leaped off the table and sprinted along the side wall, using the Lexus for cover, aware that her feet were vulnerable. She reached the end of the Lexus, which was parked in front of a Lamborghini, and hopped onto the bumpers of both cars, one foot on each, crouched down. Her enemy couldn't see her and she couldn't see him. The girls were still screaming and crying. The man pinned beneath the Rolls Royce wouldn't shut up, either.

 _Damn_ , she wished there was a CCTV camera in here!

"You okay?" Sue asked.

"Yes," Hung whispered.

Between the cars beside her, Hung saw her opponent sprint across the open space of the garage, but she dared not shoot, as the girls were directly in the line of fire. The man seemed to be panicking, as he desperately looked over his shoulder at Hung while fumbling for one of the girls. He evidently intended to take a hostage and try to bargain his way out.

He was so intent on watching Hung, and keeping his gun pointed in her direction, that he didn't really pay much attention to the girl he was trying to grab, and that was his mistake. In desperation and terror, the girl wrapped both hands around the man's gun arm and hung on for all she was worth.

Hung scrambled over the cars, desperate to reach them, fearing the worst. As the man tried to fight the girl off, the girl next to her wrapped her chain around his neck. The girl on the other side of the one fighting saw this and immediately did the same. They leaned back and pulled with all their might.

The man dropped his gun and clawed at his neck, his face suddenly turning bright red, his eyes bulging.

The door leading to the house opened and Siu-ma and several members of the attack squad came pouring in. The other policemen swept the garage, looking for anyone else. Hung and Siu-ma gently persuaded the girls to stop strangling the man.

"It's over," Hung told them. "It's all over."


	8. Chapter 8

Mu Jing was checking the yacht's engine room when Alex blew in, panic cascading off of him in waves. "They found the girls and the others are busted! We need to go!"

"What do you mean-"

"I mean we're finished!" Alex shrieked. "It's all over the news! They found the girls!"

"What about my brother?"

"What about him?"

She grabbed him by the shirt. "Is he all right?"

"How the hell should I know? We need to move! Now!"

Mu Jing fumed for a few seconds longer, then let go of Alex and walked out. He followed.

Chang was already at the car, looking around in fear, almost hopping up and down. They climbed in, Chang behind the wheel, and drove away.

* * *

They sent Chang in to rent the room. Since the family they had taken hostage had seen his face the least, they figured his description wouldn't be in the news. Chang told the landlord he was having marital problems and just needed a place to stay by himself until he got things sorted out. The landlord understood and offered a six-month lease.

Mu Jing, whose description would almost certainly have been given to the media by now, snuck into the room. Alex ditched the car on the other side of the island and rode the bus back. Chang bought groceries. By 9 PM they were holed up, safe and free for the moment, glumly watching the news.

Hung, Sue, Lynn, and Yen watched the same news broadcast in Lynn's hospital room.

"All six abducted girls are safe tonight, thanks to a dramatic and daring rescue by the police," the newswoman said. "At his press conference, Chief Lu Cheng Jiang praised officer Kong Yat-hung for tracking down the kidnappers. Officer Kong Yat-hung fought with three of the kidnappers around two this afternoon, and during the fight, she managed to slip her own cell phone into the jacket pocket of one of the kidnappers without them knowing. Police then traced the phone's GPS to the kidnappers' hideout, which they raided about four. Some of the kidnappers were killed in the shootout, including the gang's leader, Zhu Bo Shi. No police were killed, but two policemen were injured, one of them critically. Several members of the kidnapping gang were not present at the time of the raid, and are still at large."

Mu Jing stared at the television for a long time, her face expressionless. Alex and Chang left her alone.

* * *

Sue muted the television and said to Hung, "Nice work!"

Hung smiled. "You, too! Your help was crucial."

"I was glad to do it."

"And I'm glad you did it, too," Lynn said. "It feels good to know that World Panorama is being used the way Papa wanted it." She smiled wistfully. "It feels good to save lives."

Hung smiled at her, and Sue nodded.

"I'm just glad it all worked out," Hung said. "And really, Siu-ma deserves a lot of the credit. He's the one who pursued a lead I had dismissed. That boy is going places, I can feel it."

A nurse entered with a clipboard, a cup of water, and some pills. Lynn sat up, preparing to take her evening medicine.

"Any word on when Lynn will be discharged?" Yen asked.

"The doctor said he'd like her to stay one more night, just to be sure," the nurse replied.

"The doctor said he'd be in to see me after dinner, but he hasn't," Lynn said. "Where is he?"

"Busy. You know all those girls the police rescued tonight? A lot of the kidnappers were shot, and they're upstairs being treated. Every available doctor was called up, and the police are all over the place, making sure they behave. Making sure the _kidnappers_ behave, that is, not the doctors. Anyway, it's a real circus up there. So he's all tied up doing that."

Lynn looked at Hung. "Oh, so it's _your_ fault my doctor's busy."

Hung grinned.

The nurse turned to Hung. "How is it your fault?"

"I'm a policewoman, and I took part in that raid. I'm afraid some of those wounds they're treating came from me."

"Ah, well," the nurse said. "I'm glad you're okay, and I'm _so_ glad you rescued those poor girls."

"She's not just a policewoman, she's my girlfriend!" Sue exclaimed with pride.

"Oh, that's nice," the nurse said. "Where did you two meet?"

"In a record store," Sue said smoothly.

Hung had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.

"Do you know when the doctor will be able to see me?" Lynn asked.

"No idea," the nurse said. "It's just so crazy up there. Did you know one of the kidnappers actually got crushed by a car? How does that even happen?"

Hung casually put a hand to her face and bit her lip even harder.

"So it might not even be tonight," the nurse continued. "It's such a madhouse. It's just like that day two weeks ago. We had eleven people come in at the same time. Each one was a security guard who had been shot once in the leg. Can you believe it? Eleven leg gunshot wounds at once!"

"The world is very strange," Lynn said, and swallowed her pills.


	9. Chapter 9

Sue carefully arranged the flowers until they were perfect, then laid a small blanket on the grass and sat down. She set the video camera on the polished marble, beside the flowers, and pressed "Record." It was a beautiful sunny day, and the grave marker was warm. She had the entire cemetery to herself.

"Yen's in America for a week, meeting with his editors," she said, and took a swig from a bottle of water. "So I've been helping Lynn look for a house. Of course, I already found one for them, but they said it was too old. I said it has character. Lynn said it was a crumbling piece of crap. They want something modern, so I told her to just get our old house fixed up. But she says she has too many bad memories there." She pulled an apple from her purse. "I guess I can't blame her."

Sue munched on the apple for a few moments. She often imagined her parents smiling in response, even replying to her. She liked to think she knew what they would say.

Lynn didn't visit their graves very often; she felt there was nothing there but physical remains and a stone with names, nothing with any real meaning. But Sue always felt comfortable here. She could tell her parents anything, like a free therapy session.

"Today's the one-month anniversary of moving in with Hung," she said. "It's mostly been pretty smooth. I've got Hung on these special herbal cigarettes to help her kick the habit. We haven't had a real argument about that yet, but it's coming. Except for the cigarettes, I think we're okay. It's just...I don't know...Hung isn't a very emotional person. Or maybe she is, but she thinks showing it is a weakness. There's a side of her that's afraid of letting emotion show, or she's embarrassed by it. It definitely makes her feel uncomfortable. And because of that, I'm so afraid to show my own emotions around her. I don't want to say or do anything sweet or sentimental, because I'm scared she'll feel contempt for me and push me away." She sighed. "I guess when you become so close to someone who's that scared of emotion, you have to hold them with a delicate touch." Sue paused for a moment, then said quietly, "She hasn't actually said, 'I love you,' yet. I think she's afraid to. I really wish she would."

The gun barrel touched the back of her neck.

A woman's voice. "If you don't want to join your parents, honey, you'll stand up slowly and do exactly as I say."

Two men stepped into view about 10 meters away, both holding pistols.

Sue carefully set down the half-eaten apple and slowly stood up. "Mugging people in a cemetery," she said. "That's new."

"We're not mugging you, sweetheart," the woman said. "You're coming with-"

Sue pushed with her right foot and jumped left. The woman fired, but Sue had moved like lightning. Sue felt the heat of the gun blast, and knew she'd been faster by the tiniest fraction of a second.

Sue ran, weaving an erratic path among the headstones.

The men hadn't actually expected her to do anything but comply, so they were caught a little off guard.

"Get her!" the woman roared.

Sue ran along a row of headstones, trying to balance the need for speed with the need to keep her head down. One of the men chasing her blundered across her path, almost running into her. Sue and the man were equally surprised.

Sue kicked, but the man parried and kicked back. Sue went flying, rolled with the landing and sprang up instantly to meet the man again, who had closed with her. They spun and traded punches. Sue knew she had only seconds, for the other two wouldn't be far away.

Sue was between two headstones when the man went low and tried to kick her legs out from under her. She leaped straight up while doing the splits, planted one foot on each headstone to hold her in position, and punched the man squarely in the face, for his own maneuver had left him vulnerable. He stumbled backwards.

Something struck Sue hard on the back of the head. She fell to the ground, out cold.

Mu Jing stood over Sue, breathing hard, glaring at Chang. "That was sloppy!" she barked at him.

"Yeah?" he shot back. "And whose fault is that?"

Alex joined them.

"Get her into the van!" Mu Jing said. "We've already been here too long."

The men picked Sue up. Mu Jing ran to collect Sue's belongings, looking around to double- and triple-check that there were no witnesses. Satisfied, she joined the others.

They piled into the van and drove away.

* * *

Hung looked at all the computer equipment and sighed. For the hundredth time, she wondered if there was an easier configuration, or somewhere more convenient to put it, and for the hundredth time, she knew there wasn't. As the days went by, it was becoming increasingly apparent that her apartment was too small for the two of them.

Hung didn't want to move. Her relationship with Sue was great, but she also liked her apartment, and its view over the park.

There was a knock at the door. Hung opened it to find a little boy holding Sue's video camera with a note attached to it with a rubber band.

"A lady gave me ten dollars to come up here and give this to you," the boy said.

Hung smiled. This was obviously one of Sue's fun ideas. She was always doing quirky things like this. The camera would no doubt have a message which was the first step in a small, romantic scavenger hunt, or perhaps a video of Sue wearing that lingerie they had picked out last week.

Hung thanked the boy and he left.

The note contained only an address. Hung turned the camera on and played the latest message.

Mu Jing stared at her from the screen.

"Hey, police bitch," Mu Jing said conversationally. The view swiveled around to show Sue sitting on a chair, tied up, looking miserable. "You wanna see your girlfriend again?" The view spun back to show Mu Jing. "Huh? If you do, show up at the attached address at nine tonight. Be on time, be alone, be unarmed. If you're even a second late, or if I see even the tiniest sign of treachery, I'll gut your girlfriend. And if you think I won't, just remember you pigs killed my brother, and I got nothing to live for except his memory. I am _not_ afraid to die, and I _will_ take her with me if you don't do exactly as I say!"

The video ended.

Hung stood completely still, stunned for one of the few times in her life. She had faced bad situations before, but never with the threat of death for someone so close to her.

She believed Mu Jing completely. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that if she didn't keep the rendezvous, alone, Sue would die.

Hung walked back to her desk, picked up her phone, and dialed.


	10. Chapter 10

Hung was really getting tired of abandoned warehouses. But she had to admit that for a criminal on the run, an abandoned warehouse usually couldn't be beat.

She sat alone in the driver's seat of the rental car. The dashboard clock read 8:53.

Hung's stomach was in knots. Any time she'd ever seen action, she had felt only an adrenaline rush, a knowledge that she was really good at what she did and that she was putting bad people away. But now it was personal, and she was a mess inside. She took deep breaths, forcing herself to remain calm.

She wanted a cigarette _so_ badly. But it felt so wrong to light one up while the woman who wanted her to quit was in such terrible danger.

For about the tenth time, she picked up Sue's camera and thumbed the menu back to the other video she had found on it. She knew she really shouldn't, because all it accomplished was to shred her heart all over again, and she needed to focus. But she also needed something to do while the minutes dragged by, and she couldn't help herself.

She pressed "Play," fast-forwarded a few seconds, and pressed "Play" again.

 _"Today's the one-month anniversary of moving in with Hung. It's mostly been pretty smooth. I've got Hung on these special herbal cigarettes to help her kick the habit. We haven't had a real argument about that yet, but it's coming. Except for the cigarettes, I think we're okay. It's just...I don't know...Hung isn't a very emotional person. Or maybe she is, but she thinks showing it is a weakness. There's a side of her that's afraid of letting emotion show, or she's embarrassed by it. It definitely makes her feel uncomfortable. And because of that, I'm so afraid to show my own emotions around her. I don't want to say or do anything sweet or sentimental, because I'm scared she'll feel contempt for me and push me away. I guess when you become so close to someone who's that scared of emotion, you have to hold them with a delicate touch. She hasn't actually said, 'I love you,' yet. I think she's afraid to. I really wish she would."_

Hung stopped the playback. She took a deep breath, set the camera aside, and wiped away a tear.

She wanted to play the video again. This time, she forced herself not to. She closed her eyes. _Focus_.

Her eyes drifted open. It was 8:57.

She got out of the car and started walking.

* * *

Xiao Huang He stomped out another cigarette. "Lady, you are one crazy bitch," he said.

"My money's just as good as any sane person's, so what's it to you?" Mu Jing asked.

"You said this was a kidnap and ransom, but it's actually about revenge. You want a fight. You want to go out in a blaze of glory."

Mu Jing lifted her chin. "Is that a problem?"

"Goddamn right it's a problem! Me and my boys signed on for a kidnap job! You didn't say anything about murdering a cop!"

Chang folded his arms. He tried to seem casual about it, but it was painfully obvious he was putting his right hand near his gun. Alex looked on with apparent disinterest.

Mu Jing walked up to Xiao and stuck her face in his. "I needed men to help me guard this bitch and keep me safe while I take out her girlfriend. You and your men are common street thugs, and taking money and following orders are what you do best, and I'm paying you very well. So if you want to see the second half of your fee, I suggest you shut the hell up and do as you're told."

"All the money in the world don't bring a person back from the dead," Xiao sneered. "You wanna play suicide by cop, that's your business, but don't make it ours."

"Oh, yeah? And who says I'm gonna lose?"

Xiao didn't answer.

"I'd have thought you'd be thrilled to kill a cop," she continued.

"I'm thrilled when the people I do business with tell the truth."

"Look, lamebrain, it's not that big a deal. The cop shows up, we kill her, we kill her girlfriend, _you get paid_ , and we all live happily ever after."

Xiao looked at her appraisingly, then finally said, "All right, crazy bitch. We'll fight for you. But we are _not_ gonna _die_ for you. You got that?"

"That's all I need."

Two gang members entered the warehouse. "She's here," one of them said.

"Is she alone?" Mu Jing asked.

They nodded.

Mu Jing turned around, a smile on her face. "Positions, everyone. It's showtime."


	11. Chapter 11

Hung pushed open the door and walked in.

It was a medium-sized warehouse, about two stories high, with some chains still hanging from the ceiling, tracks designed to hold heavy machinery, scaffolding, and a few pieces of junk which the previous occupants had not bothered to take with them. To Hung's right, a van was parked about thirty feet inside a larger door built to admit vehicles. That door was heavily padlocked.

About a third of the way along the left wall was a set of two connected cubicles; an identical set of cubicles sat directly across from them, along the right wall. A second-story platform, acting as a loft, occupied the rear third of the building; it was accessible only by a ladder near the left wall. There were windows up there as well as at floor level. A few were boarded over; those that weren't were filthy, and some were cracked. There was enough light to see by, but most of the warehouse was in shadow.

Outside the warehouse, a figure dressed in black hung from the roof, suspended by wire. The figure carefully applied a suction cup to one of the upper windows and pulled out a glass cutter.

Mu Jing stood in the center of the warehouse. She held no gun, but a number of men scattered around the warehouse floor, each holding a pistol, made up for that.

Sue sat in a chair a few feet behind Mu Jing and slightly to one side. Sue's hands were bound behind her and her feet were tied together, but she wasn't tied to the chair. She stared at Hung intently, but except for an instant of eye contact upon entering the building, Hung avoided her gaze.

Alex stood a few feet to Mu Jing's right, and Chang stood along the left wall. Hung recognized them as the other two people she had fought in the street that day.

Hung also recognized some of the other men. Half of them had criminal records, and she knew every mug shot in Hong Kong. Immediately, she knew her opponent had hired Xiao Huang He's gang. Xiao himself was in the corner, and he didn't look happy. Hung had no doubt there were more gunmen hidden in the shadows, already taking aim.

Hung took all this in in just a few seconds, after which she had eyes only for Mu Jing. She stopped six feet in front of her.

"Check her," Mu Jing said.

Alex stepped forward. Hung spread her arms wide. "Careful where you put your hands. My girlfriend's watching."

Alex patted her down expertly, then ran a small device with an antenna up and down her body, checking for evidence of a wire. Hung never took her eyes off Mu Jing.

On the platform, a pair of hands reached out of the darkness and one of the hidden gunmen quietly died.

Alex nodded to Mu Jing and stepped away.

"I see the resemblance to your brother," Hung said, putting her arms down. "Although he doesn't really resemble you any more."

Mu Jing's face darkened. "You have no idea how much pain you're going to endure before you die."

A second gunman, lying prone on the platform with a rifle, died without a sound.

Hung shrugged. "I figured. But what I don't understand is, out of all the police who raided your gang that day, why single me out?"

"Because you were the one who attacked me first, and it was your trick with the cell phone that gave us away. Besides, who says I'm going to stop with you?"

Hung snorted. "You're a nobody, always living in your brother's shadow. Liang told us all about your pathetic little gang, and yet I can't even remember your name. What was it, again? It was May, right? Or was it Lynn? Everyone needs a sister named Lynn."

Sue's face betrayed nothing, yet without even looking at her, Hung knew she'd gotten the message.

Mu Jing stepped forward, fists raised, and began circling Hung. "My name is Zhu Mu Jing. You should know it before you die."

Hung shed her jacket, dropped it to the floor, and raised her hands into a fighting stance. She turned on the spot, keeping Mu Jing in front of her. Their eyes bore into each other. Only Sue noticed that Hung's right foot now stood on her jacket. To anyone else, it was trivial, but Sue knew it was deliberate.

Mu Jing continued circling. When she was between Hung and the door, she attacked.

Hung sprang back while simultaneously kicking the jacket up into Mu Jing's face. In that same instant, the rifle shot from the platform killed Alex.

The warehouse erupted into chaos.

By jumping backwards, Hung was now next to Sue. A knife flew down from the platform, seeming to come out of the darkness itself. Hung caught it and cut the ropes around Sue's feet. Every gunman fired wildly up at the platform. Mu Jing ripped the jacket from her face and leaped at Hung. Sue brought her feet up and kicked Mu Jing back while Hung cut the ropes around Sue's wrists.

Sue rolled off the chair to her right, and immediately a belt came sailing out of the darkness above the platform and hit the floor in front of her. She recognized it instantly and snatched it up.

Mu Jing continued attacking Hung in a rage, even though the policewoman now had a knife.

Two more rifle shots from the platform meant two more dead gang members, and everyone except Hung and Mu Jing scrambled for cover. One of the dead was Xiao. Sue picked up his pistol and hid behind a barrel. The barrel was small, but luckily, so was she. She put on the belt as quickly as she could.

The other gunmen hid inside the cubicles on each side of the warehouse and continued firing at the platform. They had no idea how many people were up there or who they were.

Mu Jing didn't care about anything except killing Hung. Even with the knife, Hung was still just barely keeping Mu Jing at bay. Mu Jing aimed a flying kick at Hung's face. Hung dodged. Mu Jing's feet hit the wall instead, but she just pushed off, twisted in mid-air, and punched Hung in the chest. Hung staggered back, slicing twice with the knife to keep Mu Jing away. They circled one another.

Peering around the barrel, Sue saw that Mu Jing was moving too fast for her to get a clear shot. Sue took in the rest of the warehouse and saw something she didn't like.

"Lynn!" she shouted. "One coming up the ladder!"

The man on the ladder, angry that his advantage of surprise was gone, shot at Sue, but she had already ducked back into cover. Just before he fired, Sue had gotten a glimpse of his face. It was Chang.

Lynn leaped off the platform, two silver wires shooting from her waist. Their tips embedded in the ceiling. She swung the length of the warehouse, a pistol in each hand, spinning and firing at the gunmen in the cubicles below. Some ducked in time. Those who didn't were mown down.

Sue's heart soared, and she grinned at her sister with pride. Majestic! It was just such a Lynn thing to do!

Then Sue remembered Chang, and looked. He was now on the platform himself, taking careful aim at Lynn, who didn't see him because she was concentrating on the gunmen below.

Sue shot him dead before she could even think.

Lynn reached the end of her first swing across the warehouse and started her return journey. She again fired at the cubicles, but this time everyone stayed down. Lynn saw Hung and Mu Jing fighting, but they were mostly hidden behind the scaffolding from her point of view, so Lynn could do nothing to help Hung at the moment.

Sue took in the situation. The overall momentum of Lynn's swings would end in a few seconds; Hung had all she could handle with Mu Jing; and there were still gunmen hiding in the cubicles. Sue thought furiously, then snatched up a second gun from one of the dead gang members and sprinted to the van. She saw the keys were still in the ignition.

Lynn arced once more across the warehouse, keeping the gang members pinned down.

Sue ran to the back of the van, opened the doors and jumped in. She turned around and fired two wires from her belt. One embedded itself into the first cubicle on the right, the other on the left. She closed the van doors, which held the wires in place. She disconnected the wires from her belt and scrambled into the driver's seat.

Mu Jing knocked the knife out of Hung's hand, kicked Hung onto her back, and tried to jump on her. Hung kicked her to one side and rolled on top of her, gripping Mu Jing's arms. The wall was a couple of meters from their heads.

Mu Jing got her feet up, planted them on Hung's waist and shoved her upwards. Hung refused to let go, so she suddenly found herself vertical and upside down for a split second, and during that second, her feet made contact with one of the chains hanging from the ceiling.

Hung quickly executed a small swirling motion with her right leg, wrapping the chain around her foot. She let go of Mu Jing, and, suspended by the chain, bent herself double at the waist, reaching up to her own foot.

Mu Jing leaped to her feet, exactly as Hung predicted.

Now holding onto the chain only with her hand, Hung kicked Mu Jing in the shoulder. It didn't really hurt Mu Jing, but it propelled Hung towards the wall. Mu Jing sprang after her. Hung kicked back off the wall, reversing her direction instantly. As she passed Mu Jing, she clotheslined her with the chain. Hung's momentum kept her circling Mu Jing, and with each revolution she wrapped the chain around Mu Jing's neck again and again.

Choking, Mu Jing clawed at the chain, but it was wrapped too tightly to pull off by force.

Hung let her be, plucked a gun from a dead gang member's hand, and took stock of the situation. At that moment, Lynn was alighting onto the warehouse floor from her wires, bodies were everywhere, and the van was pulling the cubicles apart.

The cubicles collapsed. Hung sprinted to join Lynn. The van's rear doors burst open and Sue threw one of her guns to the spot she knew Hung would reach a second later.

Deprived of their cover, the remaining gunmen poured out, firing wildly.

Hung reached Lynn, caught Sue's gun, and spun on the spot.

Hung and Lynn now stood back to back with two guns each.

They stood together, the two women of equal skill who had been born on the same day, their arms fully extended at 45-degree angles, slowly turning clockwise, firing again and again, mowing down the entire gang around them as they advanced.

Sue stood in the back of the van, taking out more of the gang members from behind, determined with all her heart to protect her sister and her girlfriend.

The echoes of the final gunshots faded away. It was over.

Sue hopped down and ran to Lynn's arms. Lynn held her tight.

Then Sue hugged Hung, who also held her close. When they finally pulled apart, Hung held her face and said, "Hey – I love you."

Sue broke into a grin which was full of stress and relief. "You picked a hell of a time to finally say it!"

Hung laughed. Lynn grinned at them.

Sue raised her gun to Hung's face and pulled the trigger.

But Sue hadn't been aiming at Hung. Lynn and Hung were stunned for a fraction of a second, then whipped their heads around to see Mu Jing fall to the floor, a gun in her hand.

They looked back at Sue.

Sue smiled at Hung. "And I love you, too."


	12. Chapter 12

Sue set the flowers at her parents' graves and stood up. Hung stood next to her. It was a gorgeous sunny day, but the breeze ensured it wasn't too hot.

"I really don't know how we became assasins," Sue said, gazing at the headstones. "I mean, yes, I know, but it just seems strange, like a dream. The decisions we made were so stupid, but it seemed so natural at the time."

"That's usually how people get mixed up in bad things," Hung said.

"I suppose that's true. Monsters murdered our parents before our eyes, and tried to murder me and Lynn. I stand here thanks to the kindness of a single man. We asked him why he had come to our house if he had never been planning to kill us. He said that he'd been told the operation was only to steal the World Panorama, not to kill anyone. The other men killed our parents before he could react. Saving me and Lynn was all he could do."

Hung took hold of Sue's hand.

"He told us the names of the people who had hired them, because he knew we would want revenge," Sue continued. "He advised us to learn how to fight, first. He told us to take our time and learn to do it right. He expressed his condolences, and then he walked away. He never told us his name. It was so surreal.

"So over the next two years, Lynn and I became completely different people from who we were before. We went into hiding with the World Panorama and all of our father's research. We spent every waking moment learning the software, learning to fight, learning to shoot. Lynn devoted more of her time learning to fight, and I devoted more of my time learning how to be a hacker. I peeked into servers all over the world, and learned all sorts of nasty secrets, and I saw just how corrupt the entire human race is. We ran practice runs in office buildings at night when no one was around.

"When we felt we were finally ready, we did it. I became Lynn's eyes and ears, and she took out the bastards who ordered the hit on our family. Lynn pulled the trigger, but together, we got the job done. We killed them all that night.

"The next morning, suddenly we didn't know what to do with our lives. Infiltration and assasination were all we knew. We had learned how many terrible people there were in the world, so we just decided to kill them for profit. Neither of us said, "Hey, let's do this." We just naturally did it. It became our new normal. Lynn was smart enough to realize the danger, but to me, it became a game, and I almost paid the ultimate price for that arrogance."

They stared silently at the graves. The breeze caressed them. From a distance came the occasional call of a bird.

"You didn't become a completely different person," Hung said. "Despite everything you endured, there's still a part of you that's innocent and loves to play. A part of you that loves to tease, laugh, and eat cake." Hung squeezed her hand. "Those monsters didn't change you that much. They couldn't have."

Sue smiled wistfully. "Maybe not. But I still think Mama and Papa would be ashamed at what Lynn and I became." She bit back tears.

Hung held her. "I don't think that at all, and deep down, you know you don't either."

Sue wept on her shoulder for a long time.

When her crying had mostly run its course, Sue pulled away and said, "I am so happy you're here. I am so happy you're in my life."

"So am I," Hung said. She kissed Sue on the lips, good and proper.

Sue leaned her head on Hung's shoulder and looked at her parents' graves again. Hung wrapped an arm around her.

"Do you ever think of tracking down the man who saved you and Lynn?" Hung asked.

"Every day. And every day I come to the same conclusion: although I'm grateful he saved us, just the thought of him makes me sick. I don't want to know who he is. I never want to see him again. Let him rot in anonymity."

Hung nodded in understanding. "What do you think you'll do with the rest of your life?" she asked.

"Well, I was kind of hoping to stay with you."

Hung smiled. "I meant besides that. You're no housewife."

Sue snorted softly. "True that. I was thinking of becoming a private investigator."

"Really?"

Sue looked at her. "Does that surprise you?"

Hung smiled. "Well, I just thought you'd go into clothing design, or baking, or something."

Sue shook her head. "Nah. I've got a very special skill set, and I've learned that I can help people. It felt good helping you save those girls. I've learned that I am ambitious enough to do something for society, after all. The real trick is convincing Lynn."

"You don't need her permission."

"I don't want her permission, I want her to be my partner. But something tells me she's not going to love the idea."

"She might."

"She might," Sue conceded. "She's surprised me before. And if I do start a detective agency, I'll need partners I can trust. Smart, knowledgable, kick-ass people who have years of police experience and who know how to fight." She looked at Hung.

Hung laughed. "I can't! First, going into business with the woman I live with would be a disaster waiting to happen. And second...there's no way I could ever leave the police force. I actually love the daily grind too much." She shrugged. "I'm a soldier."

Sue smiled. "And I'm a bandit."

"No," Hung said, with all sincerity. "You're an angel."

They kissed, long and deeply.

"Come on," Hung said. "Let's not do this in front of your parents."

Sue grinned, and took Hung's hand.

Together, they went home.


End file.
